How to Set Up an ARK Cluster (Transfer Between Maps)

 

    A cluster links two or more ARK servers so players can carry their characters, dinos and items between maps — tame on Ragnarok, fight bosses on The Island, store loot on Aberration, all on one connected world. This guide covers what a cluster needs, the exact parameters, and how to wire it up on gamever. Applies to ARK: Survival Evolved and Survival Ascended.

 

What a cluster actually is

 

    A cluster is just several ARK servers that share one Cluster ID and a shared transfer folder. When the IDs match, an Obelisk's "Travel to Another ARK" menu lists the other servers, and players can upload their survivor/dinos/items on one map and download them on another.

 

    You need:

 

• One server per map — a cluster of 3 maps = 3 servers. (On gamever, rent one ARK server per map you want in the cluster.)
• The same Cluster ID on every server.
• Transfers allowed in each server's settings.

 

Step 1 — Give every server the same Cluster ID

 

    A cluster is bound together by two startup parameters that must match on every server:

 

-ClusterId=MyArkCluster -ClusterDirOverride="ShooterGame/Saved/clusters"

 

• -ClusterId is a unique text string you choose. It must be identical (case-sensitive) on every server in the cluster.
• -ClusterDirOverride sets the shared transfer folder. It must be the same on all servers.

 

On gamever: the control panel doesn't expose a Cluster ID field or a command-line editor, so clustering isn't a self-serve toggle. Rent one ARK server per map, then open a ticket with Support (Console tab → Create Ticket, or the Support page) asking them to put your servers on the same Cluster ID and shared cluster storage. The transfer settings in Step 2 you can set yourself.

 

Step 2 — Allow transfers

 

    By default ARK can block uploads/downloads. In GameUserSettings.ini → [ServerSettings] on each server, make sure transfers are permitted:

 

Setting	Value	Effect
PreventDownloadSurvivors	False	Allow characters to arrive.
PreventDownloadItems	False	Allow items to arrive.
PreventDownloadDinos	False	Allow dinos to arrive.
PreventUploadSurvivors	False	Allow characters to leave.
PreventUploadItems	False	Allow items to leave.
PreventUploadDinos	False	Allow dinos to leave.
noTributeDownloads	False	Master switch — must be False for any downloads.

 

gamever: the download toggles — PreventDownloadSurvivors/Items/Dinos, noTributeDownloads and CrossARKAllowForeignDinoDownload — are in the panel under Settings → Other settings. Set them, Save, and restart, the same on every server. Uploads are allowed by default, so you normally only need the download side. (To force the PreventUpload... flags you'd edit Game.ini/GameUserSettings.ini after setting Disable settings below to Yes — see our server settings guide.)

 

 

Step 3 — Use different maps, then restart

 

• Set each server to a different map (The Island, Ragnarok, Aberration, etc.) under Settings → Server Settings → Server Map.
• Restart every server in the cluster.

 

Step 4 — Test the transfer in-game

 

1. Join one server and walk up to any Obelisk (red, green or blue) — or a Supply Crate / Tek Transmitter.
2. Choose "Travel to Another ARK."
3. If clustering is wired up, the other cluster members appear in the destination list.
4. Pick one, upload your character/items/dinos, then download on the other side.

 

Troubleshooting

 

Problem	Fix
Destination list is empty	The Cluster ID doesn't match on every server — it's case-sensitive, so one typo and the servers can't see each other.
Items/dinos upload but won't download	A PreventDownload... is still True, or noTributeDownloads=True, on the destination server.
Only some maps appear	The missing server has a different Cluster ID, is offline, or hasn't been restarted since the change.
Character arrives but dinos don't	PreventDownloadDinos (or the matching upload setting on the source) is True.

 

Conclusion

 

    A cluster turns separate maps into one connected ARK: tame, build and raid across worlds without losing your progress. The whole trick is a matching Cluster ID on every server plus transfers left enabled — get those right and the Obelisk does the rest.

 

    Rent your ARK servers at gamever.io — spin up multiple maps and our support team links them into one cluster so your tribe can roam between worlds. One-click restarts, online 24/7. Free trial, promo code WELCOME.